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( QM deL) V. A. KREPPS. OHEOK REGISTER AND (JOIN COUNTER} No. 557,557. Patented Feb. 8, 1887.

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UNITED STATE PATENT @FFrcjE. I

VIRGIL A. KREPPS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CHECK-REGISTER AND COIN-COUNTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 357,557, dated February 8, 1887.

Application filed January 22, 1886. Serial No. 189,404. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, VIRGIL A. KREPPS, of the city of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Check-Registers, of which the following is such a full, clear, concise, and exact description as will enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to that class of checkregisters used in restaurants and bar-rooms and on ferries and railroads to keep tally of the amounts of money received in the course of the day.

In the drawings, Figurel is a front perspective view of my improved check-register, while Fig. 2 is a side perspective view of the same. Fig. 3 is a side perspective view of the upper part of the check-register when the lid is removed therefrom, and shows a hopper placed upon the samein order to accelerate the filling of the tubes, which in this figure appear be low the point at which the walls are broken away. Fig. 4 is a sectional detail of the lower end of the corresponding tubes of a register provided with a double set of check-containing tubes, and also of the base or support for such tubes, and shows also the checkreleasing slides provided with spiral retracting-springs. Figs. 5, 7, and 8 are sectional details of a slide provided with a follower to prevent more than one check from passing through during its travel, being taken respectively on lines 2 z, a0 a2, and y y of Fig. 6, which is a plan view of such slide; and Fig. 9 is a detail of the lid, which passes over the top of all the tubes and is secured by a key made to pass through a slot in an ear projecting on the under side of such lid or cover.

In constructing the check-register I arrange as many tubes or sets of tubes within the walls as may be necessary, according to the particular purpose for which the register is to be used. I also preferto have the tubes open at one point, which is adjusted toward the front or graduated side of the register, as shown in Fig. 1, and the number of checks used or remaining in the tubes will be indicated by the graduations.

In the drawings, A represents the walls or casing of the register; B, the lid, which is secured over the check-containing tubes 1) b. This lid B is made to fit snugly over the top of the case A, and is provided with a slotted ear, 0, which, when the lid is adj usted upon the box, projects downward between the tubes. The walls of the register are provided at each side with a slot, 0 corresponding in size and direction to the slot in the ear 0 of the cover. When the cover B is placed upon the box A and the ear 0 is brought into place, a key, G, is inserted through the slots in the walls and car, after which it may be secured by a padlock, as shown in Fig. 1.

For the purpose of filling the tubes rapidly I make use of a hopper, D, (shown in Fig. 3,) which being placed upon the top of the box when the lid is removed guidesthe checks toward the open tubes, and their gravity will generally sufitice to make them enter and drop into position in the tubes. If, however, the checks accumulate within the hopper, it is usually sufficientif they be stirred with a small stick or contrivance of any kind.

In the construction of the lower part of the register I employ a chamber provided with a chute, into which the checks drop when re leased from the tubes and slide out of the chute to the place where they are wanted. In the drawings I have shown a kind of cup shaped attachment, E, connected with the chute, and into which the checks are delivered ready for use. The releasing device, by means of which the checks are permitted to enter the chute, consists of a slide, F, having an opening sufficiently large to permit a check to enter it. This slide also has a follower, G, which, when one check has passed into the opening or recess, comes beneath the next check above it, and the check which is released from the tube passes beneath the follower and drops into the chute below. This slide F is connected with a small rod, f, which extends outside of the box, and at its outer end is provided with a thumb-nut. The slide F is also connected with a spring, by means of which it is retracted or thrust back after having gone the length of its travel, and each time that it returns to its normal position a check is permitted to drop into its recess by the movement of the follower from under the same. 7

, I also provide slots in the walls of the box on the same horizontal plane with the slides F, which slots are also made to receive the key 0. These slots permit of the key entering just back of the slides, so that when it is in serted it takes up the vacant space in the course of travel by the slides, which is left when such slides are in their normal position. WVhen the key is inserted through these slots, the slides will of course be locked, and no checks can be released until it is removed. The object of this arrangement is to prevent any tampering with the checks and to insure an accurate tally of all checks used. This tally may be kept by the use of two check-registers, one for delivering the checks and the other for depositing them.

If, for example, the registers are used in a restaurant, the waiters would he provided with one register from which to give the customer a check of the required denomination, and this register would have the lid secured by the key and lock,while this register would have no key inserted at the lower end of the tubes, but the slides would be free to operate. Consequently V no checks could be inserted in the tubes, as

the cover would be locked, and every check used would be indicated by the graduation. On the other hand, the cashier would be provided with another register having a key inserted in the lower slots and locked in like manner; but in this case the cover would be removed and the hopper placed upon the box, so that as each person paid the amount of his check it would be dropped in the tubes, from which it could not be removed, inasmuch as the slides could not be operated. Moreover, the two registers would have to tally with each other, so that the number remaining in the delivery-register added to those in the receiving-register would make the exact number which the tubes contained in the first instance.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In acheck-registcr, the combination,with a suitable casing having slots on its opposite sides near its top and checlccontaining tubes within said casing, of a cover fitting the top of said casing and extending overall of said tubes, said cover being provided with a downwardlyprojecting slotted ear, and a key adapted to extend through said casing and the said slot ted ear to secure the said cover in place, sub stantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a check-register having check-containing tubes, check-releasing slides below the same, and suitable slots in, its casing in the plane in which said slides move, of a locking-key adapted to be inserted in said slots in the path of the said slides, to prevent movement of the latter, substantially as set forth.

VIRGIL A. KREPPS. \Vitncsses:

HUBERT A. BANNING, JAMES H. GRANT. 

